ChainMail
by TittyKickers
Summary: Bella is finding it much easier to accept her death after the Cullens leave. Stumbling upon a  1 bill she sees a poem written on it. Thinking it is chainmail and some ones sick joke, she brushes it aside. Written for PostSecret Contest!
1. Chapter 1

•Pen name: Jacksper2010

•FFn profile link: .net/~jacksper2010; .net/u/2557354/

•Title : Chainmail

•Word Count: 2,528

•Rating: T

•PostSecret Used: Once wrote a poem about you on a $1 bill in hopes that one day it will end up in your wallet

•Summary: Bella is finding it much easier to accept her death after the Cullens leave. Stumbling upon a $1 bill she sees a poem written on it. Thinking it is chainmail and some ones sick joke, she brushes it aside. That night, she has a visitor she never expected.

Forks, Washington. It's a small town in the Pacific Northwest where I currently reside with my father Charlie Swan. It never seems to stop raining and the dreariness of the town can sometimes become unbearable. That was before I met them; The Cullens. Life seemed too perfect with them-there was never a hair out of place, they had the designer cars and clothes, plus they had their perfect lives. Well at least everyone thought they did. I, the "human" came waltzing in and screwed everything up. Now, here it is a year and a half later and they left. Just left, no good-byes, no fuck offs…nothing, nada, zilch! Here I sit, pondering what my life is going to bring…

A crazed lunatic vampire who wants me for dead because her mate was killed because of this "human".

My own pending doom with the Volturi, because Edward didn't have the balls to just change me.

Edward…or so I thought!

Fuck my life! I was screwed either which way I thought about it. There was no out, no escape…again, nothing. Why couldn't I have just gone to Jacksonville with Renee? This whole god forsaken mess could have been avoided if I had just gone there with her. For now though, I'm safe…I think. The Pack seems to be doing its job looking out for that stupid stalker bitch. The Volturi, if they want me they can come and get me. Then, there is Edward…now there is someone to ponder. The more I thought about him; the more I began to question what I really was to him.

A horn blowing just brought me out of my inner musings. I looked in my rear view mirror, noting that it was Mike Newton honking for me to go through the one stop light in town. It just had to be Newton. That stupid little freak has been trying to get in my pants since I showed my face at Forks High School. It was bad enough I had Biology class with him last year, then I just had to go out and get a job at his parents sporting goods store. I curtly wave saying that I got the message and take off like a bat out of hell. The harder I pushed on my gas pedal, the worse my truck slugged along. Now don't get me wrong, I love my truck. For once when trying to escape, why couldn't I have Edwards Volvo or Alice's Porsche?

Again, back to my inner musings…

As I thought about it; did I really know The Cullens? Carlisle the compassionate one, Esme the loving one, Emmett the funny one…ok, my list could go on. But there is one vampire in particular that I never really got to know. Jasper. Who exactly was the quiet one of the coven? He rarely ever spoke, but the few words when we were in Phoenix.

"_Your worth it." _

That was all I really remember him saying to me. Granted, he did snap those jaws at me at my birthday party but let bygones be bygones. I was in a house full of vampires for Christ's sake. Anyone of them could have lost it, just as Jasper had done. And here we are again, full fucking circle. If that stupid, pussy-footing, mind reader would have just changed me, I wouldn't be in this predicament. Am I afraid of that stupid red-headed bitch? No, not so much. The Volturi? Sort of. Moving on with my life? Hell fucking right I am. I wanted an eternity with Edward…

The reality of the situation was starting to get to me, I needed to stop and think. Push all of these emotions aside for the time being and focus on how I was going to get the fuck out of here. I drove as far as the gas in the tank would take me…great, just fucking great…Port Angeles. I pulled into the gas station, hopped out of my truck and searched my poc0kets for any lose money from my last measly paycheck. $80.00 was all I had left in cash. I thought about using my credit card but passed on the thought. The money in my savings was for my college tuition.

I stalked inside, thoroughly pissed off because I didn't have any more cash on me. The cashier, a seemingly nice little old lady was busy making small talk with the customer ahead of me. I waited, tapping my foot to the rhythm of the radio. I glanced at the clock; it was already 8:45pm. Thank god Charlie was out fishing for the weekend with Billy. I at least knew he had the protection of The Pack; one less thing to worry about. The jingle of the bell above the door alerted me that the previous customer had left. The little old lady had called me up to the counter.

"Can I put $50.00 in the Chevy out there?" I asked, handing her three twenties.

"Sure thing Sugar. Is that going to be all for you tonight?" she asked back.

"Yes ma'am."

"I'm sorry Sweetie; all I have left is fives and ones. Is that okay?"

"Yes ma'am." I said again.

She handed me my change, preset the gas pump and gave me a little wave while sending me on my way. There was nothing unusual about the encounter or so I thought. I shoved the money back into my pocket and made way to fill up "The Hog." I like to call it that because it sucked up gas like a child sucking on their bottle. One minute the milk is there, the next minute it's gone. I pulled the nozzle off of the pump and pushed it into the tank. When I heard the click of it finishing I pulled the nozzle back out and headed back to the pump. Of course anyone who knows me knows that I could trip over flat surfaces. And here I did it again, there was nothing there in front of me to trip over but I did. Catching my fall on the pump, I felt a sharp pain go through my hand. Fuck, I muttered under my breath. I looked down at my hand and sure enough it was bleeding. I knew if I didn't act quickly, that this problem could become far worse than it already is. I had not put a first aid kit in the truck, so I pulled out the money that I had gotten back from the cashier. Gross, I know but it was all I could think of at the moment. I squeezed it tightly in my hand to apply pressure.

I walked quickly back into the store asking for the restroom. The little old lady smiled kindly and pointed me towards the back of the store. As I made my way through the isles, I could smell the iron in my blood. I was starting to get woozy so I picked up my pace. I rushed through the door for the sink. Not even worrying about having soggy money, I dropped the wad in the sink. I placed my hand under the running water, watching it go from red to pink as blood trailed down the drain.

When I was through washing out the tiny knick that seemed to bleed forever, I picked up the money and wrung it out. I laid the money on the sink and separated the bills one by one. I figured what the hell; I have time to spare so I started the pain staking slow process of drying the money. After all I didn't want to ride home with a soggy ass. When I was on the last dollar, I flipped it over to try and dry the other side. On there is where I found the writing that would change the course of my life forever. The writing on it was smudged and blurry but it was still very much legible.

I know your pain,

And I can't help but wonder…

Was it I that caused it,

That day mid-September.

Your screams echo in the night,

For your dreams,

Become a haunting reality.

Know that I will protect you,

From the fears of your mind.

As of today,

You will ultimately find,

Your heart and soul protected.

Stay up late into the night,

And you will see,

Your eternity was…

Actually meant with me.

I stood there staring at the bill like it was some sort of sign. This was literally insane; you know one of those things that were just purely coincidental. Someone was playing one hell of a sick joke. It's like receiving chain mail, the ones where spirits kill you in your sleep. I crumpled the dollar back up and shoved it into my front pocket. As I made my way back through the store, I noticed that the little old lady was sweeping up the floors and dancing to the music. I smiled at the thought of her freedom; she didn't have a care in the world. Unlike myself, my death has been on my shoulders since I had met the Cullens. I pushed the thoughts aside and walked back out to my truck.

As I made my way back from Port Angeles, I hadn't really thought of how my choices were taken from me. The one choice I wanted; I could no longer have. I loved Edward so much that I was willing to die for him, literally and figuratively. My heart would stop beating and Charlie would have to have a proper burial for me. I could run, I thought. Where would that actually get me? Charlie using his resources to hunt me down and find me and drag me back kicking and screaming. That was out. I could tell Charlie that I wanted to stay on the reservation for a while because of issues at school. Nope, then I would be tortured with fishing and football stories from Billy. I could move to Jacksonville with Renee. Still another no, I was already a parent enough to both of them. I was running out of options fast and I couldn't see a light at the end of the tunnel.

An hour later, I pulled into the driveway. I felt emotionally, physically and mentally exhausted. I just wanted to stop everything for a little while, get some well needed rest and figure out exactly what I was going to do concerning my humanity or my death. Both were still viable options. As I made my way up the stairs, tripping only twice; I felt the odd sense of being watched. It freaked me out, so I went to every room in the house and turned on lights. After checking closets, cabinets and shower curtains I found that I was completely safe and secure. Although, if a vampire wanted to come in; they could always bust the door down.

After stripping out of my clothes, I went to run a bath. I needed to soak all the tension away. I slid down into the tiny tub and laid the back of my head down on the side. I must have fallen asleep sometime shortly because I was startled by a soft thud coming from my room. I did a quick mental check to remember if I had locked all the windows and doors. Check…so what was that noise? After hanging out with vampires for a while your sense of self-preservation tends to increase. Well it's supposed to anyway; mine never has. As quietly as I could, I made my way from the tub to my bedroom door. If it was a vampire in my room, they would easily hear me anyway.

I slowly turned the knob and gently pushed on the wood separating me from the noise. I took a quick look through the crack and saw nothing out of place. Ok, this is really starting to freak me out. Maybe it is true about those chain letters, I thought. As I widened the crack I was peeping through, I noticed that the clothes I had left on the floor were missing. What the fuck was going on? Out of pure curiosity and no self-preservation, I walked quickly in the room. I scanned the room, stopping on the wooden rocking chair. There, in a pile, neatly folded were my clothes. Was there some kind of cleaning fairy that I didn't hear about when I was a child? I did another quick scan of the room and found the money I had gotten from the gas station neatly laid out on my dresser. My panic was beginning to rise and my only thought was…Vampire. I'm in way too fucking deep with this mess, I thought. I rapidly went to my dresser, pulling out only the essentials and dressed.

My reality once again came crashing down on me. My death was imminent. I guessed at this point in the game I had two very different options: one that was a slow, painful and torturous death; the other, quick and painless…hopefully. As I lay on my bed, my emotions were beginning to take hold me. The tear, hot and wet on my chilled cheeks was the only reminder I had that I was still human. Although, my heart was beating loudly in my chest, it had stopped dead in its tracks the day the Cullens left. For their hasty departure, I hated them. For their compassion and kindness, I loved them. It was a war that was raging within my mind. If they were to show back up, could I show them that I still loved them? Or, would it be the straw that broke the camel's back?

At some point, I must have drifted off while I was analyzing my thoughts. I was startled awake with the creaking of the rocking chair that sat over in the corner. So many times, for months on end, Edward would sit in that very chair and watch me sleep. I wanted so badly to wake up from this awful nightmare but I knew that my dreams were quickly becoming my reality. Again, my death crossed my mind. I sat up, hugging my pillow to my chest tightly wondering what or who had made that rocking chair move. I must be going crazy, I thought. There was nobody in the house, let alone the room with me. There was a slight breeze coming from somewhere. I looked to my left and found that my bedroom window was open. Someone was here…

Squinting with the low light, I saw something was attached directly within my view of the window. I scrambled out of bed making my way over and found the dollar bill with the poem taped squarely in the middle of it. I pulled it down quickly, clearly freaked out by someone playing a sick joke. I stood in utter silence, not moving an inch as my heart raced in my chest. Edward? Victoria? Laurent? My life was coming to a close, when I heard the one voice I never thought I would hear…Ever!

"Darlin'."

"Jasper." I whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. All the characters just like to play head games with me most of the times.

AN:

This story will be un-betaed so any mistakes are my own. Please keep in mind that this story relies heavily on a stream of consciousness. So, a lot of the sentences will be short and clipped. Welcome to the second chapter of Chainmail as I've taken some time off from writing Rubics Cube and decided to pursue this story because quite frankly Bella screaming in my head is thoroughly annoying to me. Don't ask because you don't want to know. I have two shoutouts to make, one to TheOneMama my pre-reader who I think is anticipating this story just as much as you guys do. Also, WhitlocksDarlin, she had enough grace to listen to me read it to her over the phone without complaint. I floves both of you! I'm truly excited to be picking this story back up, after the request of some reviewers after almost a year. Also, as the simplicity is in the wording with no complex plot, unlike my other story RC. It's truly a pleasure to see it come to life and I hope to do that dollar bill justice!

I stood there staring out the window, gripping tightly to the dollar bill and sighed. This is not what I wanted right now, my head screamed. I didn't want another Cullen in my room, in my head. They were gone and that's what I was sticking to. Jasper was not here, in my room, in my head. I let my hand that was holding the dollar bill slide open, letting it fall to the floor where I stood. Why had he come back? Didn't Edward make it clear enough that they were to stay away from the "human?" I shook my head, turning on my heel and prayed when I opened my eyes that he was just a dream. I replayed the scene in my head, over and over again on a nightly basis of the day Edward left. I had come to the same conclusion every time, I wasn't worth it. I wasn't worth his distraction. Yet, here, I knew before my eyes had even opened that Jasper was standing in my room.

Now was about the time I thought that being tortured by Billy with his play-by-plays on the football game was opportunity. Hell, Mike Newton was better than this! I could handle either of those any day of the week but not this, not another damn vampire in my room. I reflected back on the last year and a half and all the progress I had made since Edward and the Cullens had left. Then, came that stupid fucking dollar bill. Yeah, that one; the one that is lying on my floor next to my bed. The one that would change my life forever. I let my eyes fall to it, sitting there on the floor, looking just like any other dollar bill in circulation at the moment, except for that damn random poem. It didn't make any sense and furthermore, how the hell did Jasper know that I would be at that gas station? I let a chuckle pass my lips.

"Alice."

The statement was simple but that nosey, fucking elf had to stick her nose in, yet again. I couldn't just live my life, without the Cullens, just as Edward had wanted. It was always about what Edward had wanted, never about what I had wanted. I had accepted that fact, long ago and had pushed through that hell I had been in. Thank fuck they didn't come back to what I was. Progress; that's what I was worried about and progress is what I had made. So, here I was, at a cross roads, a fork in the road. I could look up and find a stupid fucking vampire in my room or I could just crawl in bed and pretend he wasn't here. The later looked more enticing then the before. I did just that and crawled into my bed, pulling the blankets up to keep the chill out from the opened window. I knew he would hear me, even if I whispered but I said it loud enough anyways.

"You can exit the way you entered."

I closed my eyes, pretending that none of this ever happened; the drive to Port Angeles, the damn knick on my hand and that stupid fucking dollar bill. I didn't hear anything; no movement at all. I refused, as stubborn as I was to not move either. I would lie here all night if I had too, to make my fucking point. I didn't want Jasper back in my life. I didn't want any of the Cullens right now; if not ever because I can see that this would be the straw that broke the camel's back.

Sometime during the night and my stubbornness, I fell asleep. I jerked awake to the alarm going off and groaned. I stretched, arching my back and my body shuddered, cracking and popping. I let my eyes flutter open and groaned again. Jasper stood there, in the middle of my room, looking at me.

"Well, isn't this rich," I muttered, crawling out of bed. "I have one that fucking leaves because I'm 'human' and one that I tell to go and he don't leave."

I padded around my room, thinking maybe that it's a good idea to take up fishing with Charlie and completely ignored the vampire standing in my room. I walked into my closet, feeling Jasper's eyes on me and pulled the door shut. Reaching up and pulling the cord for the light, I sifted through the hordes of clothes that Alice had bought for me while they were still here. I huffed in my inner musings of Alice's version of normal. I sifted further through the clothes, designer tags and labels strewn everywhere and smirked. Alice would kill me if she knew designers like Gucci, Prada, and Armani thrown on my closet floor. Again, nothing about the clothes was normal and I am normal. I just happened to have mythical creatures in my life. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, like that's fucking normal."

Great, now I'm fucking talking to myself, in a closet, full of designer clothes. I heard a chuckle from behind the door, dropping the clothes that were in my hands back to the floor and threw it open. Oh, I glared alright, straight at the vampire in my room.

"Is there a reason you are still here?"

I watched from the doorway of the closet as Jasper's shoulders lifted and fell back down. Fucking lovely, he doesn't say a word and just shrugs. He's now all of a sudden become a mute? I walked back through my room, collecting my uniform for Newton's as I went. Fantastic! I get to spend the day with Mike Newton; the freak who just wants to get in my pants. I had two options to spend the day, curled up in my bed, reading a classic novel, with a vampire, mind you, and standing in the middle of my room or with a horndog? I'll take the horndog, thank you very much! I was back to ignoring that Jasper was standing in my room and went off to take a shower before my voluntary day at work. Hell, I would do it and not worry about getting paid, just to get away from Jasper. Well, at least in my head I was acknowledging his presence in my room and not just calling him a vampire. First name basis, remember, Bella?

I stepped out of the shower, quickly drying and dressing for my day at work. I walked into my room and saw that Jasper was gone. Well, that's just as creepy as Edward and his stalking me for months, if not worse. I shuddered at the thought, thinking that the silent one of the Cullens would be worse than his idiotic brother. I shook my head, snatching up my jacket and book bag. It was a weekend and of course in this tiny town, there was never anything to do, I pondered and hopped into my truck. Cranking it up, I pulled out of the driveway, heading down to Newton's.

For some reason, my truck, "The Hog" had become my thinking grounds. Jasper was here last night? Check. I had even gone as far as to pinch the skin on my arm to make sure I wasn't dreaming when I laid down in my stubbornness. I wonder if Edward knew he was back here. Gah! What the hell did I care what Edward thought. I stepped harder on the gas of my truck and groaned. Maybe, I could find a big block to put in it? Then I would call it "The Beast". I laughed to myself at the irony in that statement. Jake had fixed it up for me, well, back in working order and…Well, we see how that went. He turned into a beast! I scoffed to myself as I pulled into the parking lot of Newton's.

I heard the jingle of the bell when I pushed the door open and flashed back to that cashier who was dancing with the broom in the gas station last night. Her less than worried nature about life had brought the present slamming back into me. Victoria and the Volturi.

"My life was a death wish," I muttered, tossing my vest on and buttoning it up quickly.

There he was, the horndog himself. I rolled my eyes and thought that maybe the option of Jasper was better. The quizzical look on Mike's face said it all. He was curious as to why I was here and wanting to work. I shook my head and continued walking past him into the stock room. Grabbing up the box of fishing lures and walked back out to the fishing section. Charlie… I let a smile form and it faded away quickly when Victoria flashed in my mind. Charlie had to stay on the reservation for his own protection. I shook my head, clearing the thoughts and returned to stocking up the lures.

The bell on the door rang and I pulled back from my position and huffed. Fucking really? Great, another fucking stalker in my life! Oh, this was going to be rich. Ignorance is bliss, I guess. I went back to hanging and putting the stock where it needed to be, ignoring the fact that my other stalker was now at my place of employment. I was annoyed that Jasper had the audacity to show his face here in Forks again, in my house, in my work. I could hear his footsteps echo through the aisles and the click of those boots on the laminate. I pushed my annoyance out and heard a chuckle in response. Oh, he got my point, clearly. That was what my aim was and I was successful in my endeavor.

I looked around and let my eyes wander, looking for other customers. I took note that nobody was around.

"Just go home," I whispered into the air, knowing Jasper would hear me.

"I am home."

I jumped and let out a shriek when Jasper's words hit me from so damn close behind. I whipped around, narrowing my eyes towards him. I was not going to deal with this! I stalked off past Jasper and attempted my own growl. It probably sounded extremely pitiful considering I was "human" and Jasper was, well…The stupid fucking stalker vampire who just can't leave me the fuck alone! I walked through the stock room doors and threw the box as hard as I could towards the wall. Oh, what I wouldn't give! Just to deck that stupid fucking vampire! I knew my attempt would be futile and I would end up being the one that was hurt. I attempted the pitiful growl again and stomped my feet. I didn't give a fuck if I looked like a three-year old throwing a temper tantrum or not. I huffed, screamed bloody murder and growled as much as I could, and knew Jasper would hear me. I felt like that whole scene from that disgustingly sappy romantic movie. You know the one, right? It was the one that every girl would swoon over with Patrick Swayze, Dirty Dancing, yeah, that one. The part when she was on the bridge flashed in my mind because of her clear frustration that she couldn't get the steps right and I rolled my eyes, letting out another huff of frustration.

The doors to the stock room flew open, Mike and Mrs. Newton standing there all wide eyed, looking like a deer in headlights. I understood why they were there, they didn't need an accident on the property but I glowered at them just the same. I didn't care right at this point.

"Ma'am, may I speak to Bella for a second?" I heard Jasper ask, his accent making an appearance.

Oh, he was going to do this here! I shook my head vehemently at Mrs. Newton. I was not going to do this here! I watched as my eyes widened when Mrs. Newton just bobbed her head up and down, then I felt it. That stupid fucking manipulating bastard! He just used his gift to get his way! I locked my jaw and breathed deeply through my nose. I watched as Jasper threw his head back and laughed at me.

"Ya look like a ferocious dragon there, Bella."

I was raging fucking mad at this point. I stomped forward and watched as Mike and Mrs. Newton cleared my path straight for Jasper. Oh, I had so much to say to this fucking idiot, that I knew I was going to let fucking loose a little, right here, right fucking now. I pointed my finger at his chest, narrowing my eyes and jabbed my finger roughly into his chest. I ignored the pain when my finger came in contact with his rock hard chest but I didn't fucking care at this point.

"Listen here, you stupid fucking idiot! Wasn't last night a fucking hint for you? I went to sleep, in MY room and even ignored your obvious attempts to make some sort of conversation with me from that stupid fucking dollar bill! That stupid fucking "Your eternity was actually meant with me" bullshit when I couldn't even do shit for that stalker and pussy of a bitch person you call, Edward!"

I saw seething, with each jab of Jasper's chest.

"Furthermore, I was perfectly fine WITHOUT any of you stupid fucking…" I narrowed my eyes and whispered so that Mike and his mother couldn't hear me. "Vampires in my life." I took a step back, keeping my finger to Jasper's chest. "What the fuck do you think you can do? Ride in here like some prince fucking charming and sweep me off my feet with your love sick fucking poems?"

I was on a rant, a fucking tirade and Jasper was my target. I imagined he had a huge fucking bulls-eye on his chest and attempted to growl again. I just didn't fucking care. Who the fuck did he think he was? I watched his eyes narrow down at me and I pushed him away. He let me and that's the thing I didn't get right now. He fucking let me! He let me push him away from me, the fucking "human"! I could hear it, brewing deep in his chest and glanced over at Mike and his mother. They stood there stock still and didn't move a muscle. I pushed Jasper further as his anger swooped into the room. This is fucking awesome! Here I am, mad as a rattler and I'm thinking of calming his ass down. Shit!

"Jasper!" I whispered loudly. "You're projecting."

I grabbed onto his arm tightly, hearing a low growl in response and weaved us through the aisles of Newton's. This is just fucking rich! I have to lead a fucking vampire to keep him from eating Mike and his mother, let alone me! Way to fucking go, Bella!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, it belongs to Stephenie Meyer and her characters just love to torture me. The only part I own, sadly, is the plot to this story.

AN: Thanks to my pre-reader TheOneMama for reading and stroking my ego just a bit because that's what best friends do. So, I just added more caramel to her being a decedent dessert for that. I also need to thank WhitlocksDarlin for listening to me read it again over the phone. That woman has some patience with me. So, I hope you guys enjoy just as much as I've begun to write this little story. Just push the little button at the end and leave me some love…

I had somehow managed to make it back to the house, in my truck with a moody fucking vampire cooped up in the cab with me. I knew as I pulled into the driveway and put the truck in park, I was not done with Jasper. It was boiling just beyond the surface. The rage, anger and frustration that he thought he could just walk, or for that matter any of them, walk back into my life. I huffed to myself and earned no response to the comatose vampire, seething with rage that had sat next to me. I was back to ignoring him again, yet, I knew he was still there. This was ridiculous! Couldn't they just or more like, _he_ just leave me alone? I reached my hand out tentatively and poked Jasper in the arm.

"Jasper?"

He just sat there, growling, looking like a petulant child with his arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face. _Bipolar, much?_ I thought, giggling, and drawing my hand back away from him. Did I just fucking giggle? The anger in the cab was stifling and I knew that even if I stepped out, it was still going to be there. I felt a twinge of sympathy creep up and pushed it back down. Ugh! Now I was feeling sympathy for him! _Fucking great, Bella! _I chastised myself in my head. Think of the moody dipshit before yourself! I sighed in frustration and slammed the truck door, after climbing out. I looked back over my shoulder and Jasper had yet to move. I threw my hands up in the air and knew that if anyone was being nosey, peeping out their windows, I would clearly look like a lunatic in my own front yard.

I stomped over to the passenger side and wretched the door open, groaning when I was slammed with Jasper's projection. Fucking seriously! He could control that shit! I reached in the cab and waved my hand in front of his face, snapped my fingers and even gently smacked the shithead, still there was nothing! I grabbed a hold of his jacket and felt the sudden pressure of him gripping my hand. Fucking hell! Let the fuck go! Jesus, that shit just hurts! _I was not going to cry, I AM not going to cry!_ So, I just stood there, feeling the vice of Jasper's grip on my hand.

His head snapped to me and I grimaced at the emotion written on his face. He was pissed! Shit!

"Don't fuckin' move, Bella." He managed to grind out.

I wanted to fly off the handle at his demand but the panic was quickly coming to the surface. Victoria, the Volturi and Edward flashed quickly in my brain. This was just fucking great. One decides to return and then they all do! My thoughts were in a tailspin and today was the day I was going to die. I should have been panicking more than I was but again, I had accepted that I was going to die. I rolled my eyes, letting the frustration take back over and the panic die down within me and stared at Jasper. His grip on my hand had loosened but he still refused to let go and I watched horrified as his arm snaked around my waist and pulled me to the cab. Oh, this shit wasn't happening! Not here, not now, not fucking ever! I fought back, or tried to at least, trying to wiggle my way out of his iron grip. Damn, this is exhausting! This was clearly more than stalking and some tell-tale obsession with me, from him. I'd take Edward over this shit, any day of the god damned week!

He had scooted himself across the bench seat and dragged me into the cab of the truck, slamming the door shut in the blink of an eyes. They really need to slow the hell down! Next thing I knew, my truck, with me and Jasper in the cab, was pulling back out of my driveway. _He's kidnapping me!_ My head was screaming at me. Hell, what the fuck am I supposed to do now? He would catch me, no matter what I did. I was screwed; the "human" was just fucking screwed. I could hear the truck groaning and trying not to sputter while Jasper put the pedal to the metal. He was back to growling again. Fucking awesome! I'm in the cab of my fucking truck with a blood-thirsty vampire, growling and he's a mute again. Fuck my life! I had resigned, after much debate in my human brain that I was just fucking screwed. I give up! That's it. Finished, gone…poof! I'm just done.

I watched out the windshield as the Cullen's house came into view but it looked closed up. I was trying to not do a happy dance internally that Jasper hadn't brought anyone with him. My eyes were torn from the house to the sleek black truck sitting in the driveway. There was something oddly familiar about the truck, like it had been in a movie or something. I was fascinated with the damn vehicle! I tried to wrack my brain, looking for any clues to the vehicle. It was lifted, the exhaust system was mounted externally near the cab of the truck and it just looked bad fucking ass! That damn thing had to be more of a gas hog then mine. I shrugged and my head snapped to hear the door slam beside me. Warn a woman would you!

I stepped out of the truck and watched as Jasper went to my current fascination and opened up the door. I stood there in awe, my mouth probably hanging open and watched as he seemed to be looking for something inside. The sound of the engine firing up made me jump and I didn't ever get spooked easily since _they_ walked into my life. I heard Jasper's chuckle filter through the air and scowled.

"Get in."

I stood there defiantly and didn't say a word. I knew I probably looked much like he did earlier, but I was not going anywhere with him. I was beginning to hate that fucking truck because I knew I wasn't going to have a choice. I was leaving. I was not going to give this up though; I still had a fucking choice. I could feel it wash over me like a tidal wave; Jasper's trust. I bit back the groan and watched as he stalked over to me, a constant growl coming from his chest. I rolled my eyes. If he thought that was going to intimidate me; he was sorely fucking mistaken. He would have to force me to go with him because I _wasn't_ going too.

All of a sudden, I had a great view of Jasper's ass. Lovely. Go all fucking caveman on me then. Next he will be dragging me around by my hair! I growled, as pitiful as it was as my head lolled at my dead weight rested on Jasper's shoulder. The blood was rushing to my head and I attempted to cross my arms over my chest while hanging upside down. I felt my ass hit the seat, hard, and be shoved across the seat. I still refused to acknowledge that Jasper had just man-handled me and stared out into the distance. I could hear the gravel crunch under the tires and the truck shift and sway with every turn of the Cullen's winding driveway. I was not going to let him know that I was letting my curiosity get the best of me.

"There's a package for you in the back."

Well, at least he's not mute for the time being. I shifted myself and saw a backpack sitting on the seat behind me. I pulled it into my lap, carefully unzipped it, letting my curiosity get the best of me and peeked inside. I let my eyes narrow in on the envelope. I prayed in my head that this was not what I thought it was. My identity change, but a part of me already knew that was what was in that envelope. This had been a long time coming. I slipped the envelope out of the backpack, taking note that there was a message on the front from Alice. I let my hand move slowly towards the window, trying to make my movements seem natural. I wasn't lucky.

"Don't even think about it. Alice already warned me. The windows are locked, Bella."

Jasper didn't even take his eyes off the road when he spoke to me. I sighed and started to shift my body again, watching the interstate come into view. Jasper eased the truck onto the highway, heading south. _Must be we are headed to Port Angeles_, I thought. I let my eyes fall again to the envelope with the pretty little fucking scrawl on it. Ugh! She needs to keep her nose out of my life!

"Are ya gonna open it or what?"

My eyes moved to see Jasper, still staring straight out to the open road and I swear I could see a fucking smirk on his face. If it was there, I was going to wipe the smug look right off his fucking his face. I couldn't even catch a break with him and I tore the envelope open. I tipped it over and let the contents slide into my lap. Oh, hell fucking no! I was utterly fucking speechless at the document that rested on the top of the stack of papers. I was fucking raging mad! I was not going to do this! I was not going to pretend to be _his_ other half.

"Ya actually didn't think I meant that poem, did ya? I'm a vampire, not a human."

Like I didn't fucking notice! Caveman and all…No, Jasper wasn't a vampire! He was just a human with an uncanny ability to read people's emotions, manipulate them if he must, in-human strength and speed. No, Jasper wasn't a fucking vampire! I kept my eyes trained on the top document and shook my head.

"Not happening, Jasper."

For once, he finally took his eyes off of the road and quirked his brow at me. I knew then that he was dead fucking serious; it was happening. Jesus fucking Christ! Did these people, no fucking vampires, run my life? Hell no! I fucking did. I can make my own choices…my life, remember, Bella? They fucking left you and didn't give a damn about what happened. I narrowed my eyes at Jasper and released all my anger and frustrations towards him silently. I watched as he stiffened slightly and that damn growl return, echoing through the cab of his truck.

"Do ya know why I wouldn't let go of ya today, Bella?" He asked through a clenched jaw.

I could barely understand him but I managed just the same. I didn't want to answer him but resigned and did anyway.

"No."

It was short, clipped and straight, much like he had been until he got out of this damn mute mood. Quite honestly, I was shocked that he talked this much, even if it was just to notify me or to ask a question. I watched as the Port Angeles sign passed by the truck, we were heading towards Seattle then, I mentally told myself. I wasn't going to ask any questions except for one and that was where we were headed if we didn't take any exits for Seattle. Jasper's voice, deep and commanding rang through the air and brought me out of my inner musings.

"Demetri."

Ahh! He was returning the favor of short answer. Wait, who the fuck is Demetri? I let my eyes stay on Jasper as his posture remained stiff and his eyes trained on the road.

"Who?" I asked, my eyebrows rising in question.

He moved very slowly and looked like he had some military background that had been drilled into him. Damn, he looked scary as fuck! His eyes had turned black and a sneer graced his lips. This wasn't a good thing…Oh, I fucking knew it wasn't.

"He's part of the guard for the Volturi."

My thoughts immediately went to the memories of what Edward had told me about them. They were dangerous and killed not only the vampire, but the human that knew of their existence. Oh, hell, fuck, shit, damn! My anger had been swept from me in an instant with that thought, and replaced by fear. The question kept rolling in my head and I somehow had managed to get it out.

"What…d-does he do…f-f-for the Volturi?" I asked, sounding like a bumbling idiot.

"He's a tracker."

I slammed my eyes close, the memories of James passing rapidly against my eyelids. The fear was smothering me. Oh god! He's going to find me! Maybe I hadn't accepted that I was going to die. The word tracker bounced back and forth in my head like a ball ricocheting off of the bumpers in a pinball machine. I felt the truck jerk and my head meet the dash board. I groaned and heard a snarl from beside me. I was hoping I was still conscious when I felt the grip of someone's hands on my shoulders.

"Bella?" I felt the gentle shake of my body but I refused to open my eyes. I knew it was Jasper questioning me but I just couldn't.

I heard him hiss and that did it. My eyes snapped open and I tried to focus on the blurry figure in front of me. I moved my hand to the throbbing in my head and groaned louder. Great! I was split the fuck open, well my head was at least. My thought process came and hit me like a brick fucking wall. Blood! Vampire! Blood…blood, blood. I scrambled and tried to get out of Jasper's grip. My eyes focused when I felt the grip disappeared and Jasper was on the other side of the truck, against the door, his hands held up in the air.

"I'm in control, Bella."

Damn! Where the hell is a first-aid kit when you need one? I needed some Advil or something to get this splitting fucking throbbing dulled so I could think properly. I nodded towards Jasper and tried to think of what could've happened to make the truck stop.

"He's not here, is he? Following us in the truck?"

I was hoping that he said no, that he could confirm with me that I wasn't going to go into a full blown panic attack with an empath in my presence. He nodded but didn't say anything more. I watched as he shifted and pulled the truck back out onto the road and headed for Seattle, or at least that was my assumption. I was fucking terrified; forget all of the bullshit of hiding behind a silly badass façade. I was fucking terrified and the only person I could rely on right now was Jasper. I let my eyes fall and focus on the documents scattered about the truck floor.

"Okay…"


	4. Chapter 4

I kept my eyes locked on the papers on the floor. I didn't really understand what I was agreeing too, whether it is that this Demetri was following us or acceptance of pretending to be _his_ other half. This was just fucking great! I questioned everything in my head at the moment, even when Jasper had mentioned that he didn't mean the poem that I had found. A part of me wanted to believe his lie but not after what they had done to me. Jasper had returned for a reason and it wasn't just that Alice told him too. He was alone and not with the Cullens.

I tried to rationalize in my head about that stupid fucking dollar bill. At the very least he could have said he was sorry for trying to kill my ass the night of my birthday, but that didn't seem to be happening. He had said that he didn't mean it; he was a vampire, not a human. That would make Jasper just as much of a liar as Edward was. I scowled at the thought and narrowed my eyes out the front windshield. Why all of a sudden did that poem mean so damn much? Why couldn't I just let it go? He didn't mean it, or did he.

I shook my head a little, watching the Seattle exits fly by with every passing mile. Where the hell are we going? I had mulled over, very briefly that Jasper was sent back to Forks to get me and return to the Cullens with their posh lifestyle.

"Jas…"

He cut me off, like the bastard that he was.

"Texas."

"What? I am not going to Texas with you!" I screamed.

Ugh! Here comes the headache again…Damnit! I groaned and laid my head back when Jasper's chuckle filtered through the cab of the truck. I was now beginning to plot my escape; I had to get away from Jasper and the Cullens. Where the hell would I go? I've got the flame haired bitch after me, now another motherfucking tracker from the Volturi and I'm pretty fucking sure that Edward is doing everything he can to come back. I didn't want Edward here. He was my past and I had moved on. He was no longer part of my future, no matter if that was in death or an eternity of venom running through my veins. I was done with that rat bastard.

I had found myself resigning to Jasper quite a bit over the last few hours and that disturbed me, but I knew if I didn't, I wasn't going to get any answers. I opened my eyes and leaned down picking up the scattered papers across the floor. I eyed each one carefully. I eyed the marriage license skeptically.

"Why do I have to be married to_ you_?" I asked, emphasizing the last word.

"Just because."

Awesome! I have to be married to a total stranger; let's just pray I don't have to share the same bed. Better yet, why don't we just head to Vegas and make it legal! I rolled my eyes and scoffed, pretending I was answering him but I was really scoffing at my thought process. This is absolutely ridiculous! I wanted to whine like a baby, beg and plead with him but I highly doubted it would get me anywhere. I'm sounding like a fucking idiot, even in my own head…

"Because, why?"

If that's all he was going to tell me without further explanation, I was going to be asking a lot of questions. When I mean a lot, I mean _a lot_. If he was going to be stuck with me in this truck from here to Texas; I was going to be that child who never shut up and always asked how much further until we get there. _Are we there yet, huh, Daddy?_ I smirked at that thought and I'm sure he felt my amusement. He would never see this coming and he had no warning. Jesus Christ, what the hell is happening to me?

He shrugged his shoulders and remained looking out the front window. I felt the slight increase in the speed of the truck and my thoughts were brought out of my amusing place. I kept my gaze on the darkening sky; there was such an irony in the weather compared to my life right now. I tried to beat down the panic that was slowly rising in my chest. Something was wrong, so very wrong.

"Put your head down, Bella!"

That's all I heard and covered myself with my hands quickly, burying my head in my lap. My breathing had picked up and I felt the truck being whipped around, the tires jerking against the pavement and I was instantly slammed into the door. Holy fuck! What the hell is going on? I tried to raise my head but felt Jasper's hand on the back of my neck, holding me there. My panic was full blown and I was trying as hard as fuck to gain composure. Jasper's snarl was not helping at all. Oh holy fuck…

Another snarl ripped through the air and echoed loudly as the glass from the back window came busting in. I peeked my one eye open when the glass shattered and picked at my skin. I was alone in the truck! Shit, I was alone! Where the fuck had Jasper gone? I slowly lifted myself to a sitting position, and frantically began looking around for Jasper. The truck lurched to the side and I heard the metal groan under something. I scrambled quickly to look out the broken back window. My eyes widened and a gasp fell from my lips. There stood Jasper, snarling into the face of someone. I couldn't quite get a good view and scooted down and across the seat for a better look.

The snarls echoed into the cab of the truck and I poked my head above the front seat. Jasper's lips were barely moving but I know he was speaking. I only had the view of the back of the other vampires and I could see that he was visibly shaking. I don't know what from and I couldn't watch anymore. I pressed my body into the seat and curled up into a ball, vibrating with fear. Again the truck lurched and I bit back the whimper that tried to escape. In a matter of a few minutes, I had been pondering the thought of annoying the fuck out of Jasper to being terrified.

I closed my eyes tightly and bit my lip, it was a nervous habit. I couldn't fucking help it! I know anyone would revert to a nervous habit in this situation. So, that is what I was doing. I tried to listen for outside noises, even in my terrified musings but everything was completely silent. I had those stupid fucking feelings of abandonment show up. They didn't just creep in; no they fucking slammed into me. He was gone…

I heard the door open and I curled into myself more. If whoever it was wanted to take me, they would. It's not like I could have stopped them. A low growl came with the sudden intrusion. My head snapped up to see the unknown vampire standing there and then he was gone, but so was the door. I heard the sound of metal scraping across the pavement and looked up over the steering wheel. My eyes widened and I scanned the area, noting that cars had literally just stopped moving and there was a battle in the middle of the fucking highway!

"Jasper," I whispered.

I prayed to fucking God he heard me. _Please, please, please_, I chanted in my head.

"You're drawing attention." I yelled.

I watched as Jaspers movements stilled but the other vampire was still advancing. Jasper's head turned towards me and he smirked. Oh, holy fucking shit! I wouldn't even want to fucking be that dude! Jasper looked every part of the dangerous side of his world. Part of me was screaming that this was drawing way too much attention to the supernatural world but the other half just wasn't thinking and started at the scene in front of me. The vampire dropped to his knees, screaming at Jasper for him to release the hold. What the hell was Jasper fucking doing? I scooted across the seat of the truck and slid down, letting my feet firmly plant on solid ground. I blew out a heavy breath when I felt something solid under my feet. I slowly inched my way towards the scene, every step taking me closer but my head screaming that it was dangerous.

I stopped suddenly and stood there staring, unmoving as the other vampire released a snarl. Jasper leaned down, gripping him by his neck and lifted him. I watched him sail through the air, my eyes never leaving his airborne body and he crashed into the hood of the truck. The weight of his granite body making the axles buckle and the front of the truck collapsed. I jumped and squeaked as the man again begged for mercy. _Oh, hot damn, I need some fucking popcorn and a nice comfy chair for this shit!_ I furrowed my brow and shook my head. Stray fucking thought there…

Jasper literally stalked towards the truck, amusement playing across his face. He was having fun! Oh my fucking god! He was loving this! I laughed and covered my mouth quickly. _This is not a time to be laughing, Bella! _I thought, taking a few steps back from the truck. I could tell that this vampire was not an alliance and was clearly after me. I watched in awe as Jasper climbed on the truck and reached below the vampire's shirt, from the collar and plucked a necklace from beneath it. I swear my eyes widened like teacup saucers when I saw the crest. That crest only meant one person…

"Demetri."

I heard the hiss and my eyes snapped to meet his. I watched as a deadly smirk graced Jasper's features and then I was slammed with fear. My knees buckled at the weight of the emotions and my head slammed into something hard. I felt like I was dreaming that I would wake up and find myself in the comfort of my own home, snuggled below my favorite blanket, and waking to another day at Newton's. To another day with Mike the fucking pervert.

I could feel the coolness on my face, like the whipping wind, and whatever it was, was trying to wake me from my blacked out state. It stung and held my eyes closed. The last time I felt this, I was riding on Edward's back with my face buried in his neck. Someone was running with me. I let my mind try to feel out what my body was feeling, if that made any sense. The stance felt different from Edward. The arms that were wrapped around me, cradling me felt different. The anxiousness that I would have felt with Edward doing this, it wasn't there. I was beginning to panic and it was increasing with every movement that this vampire was making. What if it was Demetri? What if Jasper didn't make it? I felt something cold against my face and wondered what the fuck it was. I moved my head and opened one eye. Fucking shit! I just had my face pressed up against the Volturi crest! Demetri had fucking killed Jasper and I was headed to Italy, to fucking die! I did the only thing I could think of doing; I fucking screamed bloody fucking murder! I was jostled forward when Demetri came to a stop. Well that's what I thought anyway…

"Bella, calm down for me please."

I felt my feet hit the soft ground and continued to scream. I could hear Demetri talking to me, asking me to calm down. It just wasn't registering! I couldn't calm down! I was heading to my death!

"Bella!" The voice came, more demanding this time. "Calm the fuck down."

I was literally just scared out of my scream and my eyes snapped open to see the Volturi crest right in my fucking face.

"If ya don't calm the fuck down, I'm gonna knock your ass out."

Oh, that did it! My eyes quickly made their way to the face of the demanding person. It was Jasper. What a fucking sign of relief. I didn't even think about my movements and threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his waist and I gripped him tightly. He stiffened under my touch. He could at least hug me fucking back! I was relieved to have it been Jasper who was carrying me, away from whatever the fuck it was that happened back there on the highway. I rethought about how maybe this felt to him and I stepped back and looked at his towering frame. I was ogling him! I shook my head and narrowed my eyes when they had reached his chest. The Volturi crest sat there and Jasper wasn't the Volturi! I lifted my finger and pointed directly at it.

"What the fuck is that doing there, Jasper?" I questioned him.

He threw his head back laughing.

"That was your first thought, Bella? But trust me; you don't want to know…" He trailed off.

"Oh, the fuck yes I do!"

"I told him he could have it back when the Volturi replaced my truck," he said, laughing loudly again.

His fucking truck! I almost got fucking killed and he was worried about his fucking truck! It was my life! I was pissed the hell off. I wanted to laugh at the stupidity of his answer but I was seething once again. He just loved to fucking piss me off! Gah! Stupid fucking idiotic fuck! In my self-consuming thoughts about me, me, me and my life, I realized what Jasper had said. Demetri was still alive! Okay, now he really was a stupid fucking idiot!

"He's still alive, Jasper?"

He nodded and brushed past me, continuing to walk wherever the fuck we were headed. I let my eyes travel to his ass. Okay, so I was ogling again! But that wasn't what caught my attention. There stuffed in his back pocket was the envelope from Alice. He fucking saved the papers. Okay, now he really had my attention. I could care less about a stupid fucking tracker after me. Just what the hell was it with these papers that meant so much for him to end his big vampire battle and walk away with a fake marriage license? My identity change…

I looked back on the last few hours and when I had agreed with a simple, 'Okay…', I wasn't agreeing to the fact that Demetri was after me. I was admitting to myself that this, being Jasper's other half was the only way I would remain safe. And here I thought he was only worried about a fucking truck!


End file.
